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‘NCIS’ Handcuffs Robert Wagner This Week

That’s what you’ll see if you catch the promo spot CBS is running for this coming Tuesday’s episode of “NCIS,” on which Wagner guest-stars as Anthony DiNozzo Sr., father of special agent Anthony DiNozzo Jr., played by Michael Weatherly.

Wagner, 81 (believe it or not), has been on the top-rated CBS drama before at least twice. In this episode — airing Tuesday (Nov. 22) at 8/7c — the senior DiNozzo is behind the wheel of a car when he’s pulled over by cops, who then discover a dead body in the trunk. He’s then arrested and cuffed, but has no recollection of the previous night, the body or how it came to reside in his car trunk.

So it’s up to the “NCIS” investigators — including his son — to find out what happened.

We have the promo right here, so you can see “RJ” being led away in bracelets:

So why is Robert Wagner in handcuffs noteworthy? Because of the re-emergence of the Natalie Wood story and the new round of suspicions centering on Wagner and new questions about his role — if any — in her drowning death nearly 30 years ago off Catalina Island, Calif.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office has reopened the investigation based on new statements from Dennis Davern, the “captain” of the yacht (the “Splendour”) on which Wagner, Wood and guest Christopher Walken were sailing that fateful night in November 1981. And, while the sheriff has been insisting Wagner’s not a suspect, Cap’n Davern’s public statements (made on the “Today” show Friday, among other places) indicate that Wagner hasn’t told the whole truth about the events leading up to Woods’ drowning.

That’s what makes this Wagner-in-handcuffs promo so intriguing. In fact, another CBS show, “48 Hours Mystery,” covered the Wagner-Wood case Saturday night, in a show that was bumped up on the schedule (from next weekend) and rushed to broadcast.

We happen to have full episodes of “NCIS” — why not watch one, right here?: